Glass building unit



Nov. 3, 1936. A. REISIG 2,059,489

GLASS BUILDING UNIT I Filed Oct. 28, 1955 2 Shee'ts-Sheet 1 H Wu 5 w H INVENTOR AWTUW TTE 1955/5,

ATTORNEY Nov. 3, 1936. A. REISIG GLASS BUILDING UNIT Filed Oct. 28, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG 12 IN V EN TOR.

Patented Nov. 3, 1936 UNITED STATES GLASS nnmnmo UNIT Antoinette Reisig, Fords, N. 1. Application October 28, 1935, Serial No. 47,017

, 2 Claims.

In the building arts, it is often desirable to provide a building, or wall structure, with a facing which will simulate brick or glazed tile or other assembled building plates or units, this facing being applied as a veneer to the existing wall of a building.

The present invention relates more particularly to a unit of the above-indicated character which is applicable either to an exterior or interidr wall, but which is intended and adapted to be used in connection with interior walls.

More specifically, the invention provides a wall unit of an ornamental character and which presents a very pleasing appearance when applied to a wall, while being of low cost and easily manufactured.

Other objects and advantagesof the invention will become apparent as the description proceeds, and the features of novelty will be set forth in the appended claims.

Many proposals, of course, have been advanced for utilizing veneering units for walls which simulate conventional bricks or the like. These are usually comparatively complicated in construction; they are difficult to apply; they tend to become detached from the base to which they are secured.

The unit of the present invention is designed primarily to form a decorative wall which differs from the prior art in the visual effects which are produced, and in the manner in which the units are applied, each of the units being individually embedded in a plastic holding medium applied to a wall base, so that each unit is self-retained and does not transmit any substantial portion of its weight to any of the adjacent units, thereby assuring a straight wall, free from buckling.

While the invention is not at all so limited, a preferred form thereof comprises a transparent body having substantially plane front and back surfaces, the back surface having applied thereto directly to the transparent body, colored lines dividing the unit intoregular geometric subdivisions, an opaque contrasting coloring of desired tint being then applied solidly over the entire back surface, producing thereby a colored mirror-like effect when viewed from the front, the geometrical designs being visible through the transparent body and contrasting with the solid coloring which is visible also, of course, through the transparent body. This form of the invention is especially suitable for ornamental effects on interior walls, and in its production a transparent glass plate or slab of any desired dimensions may be used, one surface having applied to it colored lines defining geometrical designs or figures of desired shape, leaving the areas between the lines transparent, and then applying a solid contrasting color over the entire surface including the said dividing lines. The lines and -solid coloring may be applied by any suitable process, as for example a printing operation similar to that customarily employed in the application of designs to composition floor coverings.

The designs and coloring being visible through the transparent surface of the plate or slab present a very attractive and pleasing appearance, and many different effects may be produced by varying the designs and colorings.

In another form of the invention, the vitreous body of the plate or slab may be colored on both sides and divided by suitable contrasting markings into different patterns or designs on both sides so that different appearances may be produced by reversing the units. The solid coloring maybe applied in any suitable manner such as for example by first roughening the surfaces by a sand-blast and then applying the solid color by spraying with an air-brush or the like. The contrasting lines delineating the desired designs or patterns are then applied on the solid color.

With these considerations in mind, reference may be had to the accompanying drawings as being illustrative of certain typical forms which the invention may take, it being understood, of course, that many variations of the specifically illustrated designs may be made without in any way departing from the scope of the invention.

This application is a continuation in part of Patent 2,018,805, issued October 29, 1935.

In the drawings,' Fig. 1 represents a fragmentary perspective view of an interior wall using the transparent or mirror type of unit.

Fig. 2 is a front elevational view of a transparent unit viewed through the transparent body and against the colored back, the view illustrating one typical design of the unit.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary vertical section of the unit of Fig. 2. a

Fig. 4 is a view of a unit generally similar to that of Fig. 2, but presenting a different design and appearance.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary vertical section of the unit of Fig. 4.

Fig 6 is a-view of another unit generally similar to that of Fig. 2, but presenting a still different design and appearance.

Fig. '7 is a fragmentary vertical section of the unit of Fig. 6.

Fig. 8 is a' view of still another unit generally similar to that illustrated in Fig. 2, but presenting a still different appearance.

Fig. 9 is a fragmentary vertical section of the unit of Fig. 8.

Fig. 10 is a fragmentary perspective view of an outside wall. using a reversible form of unit, having coloring applied to both faces.

Fig. 11 is an elevation of one side of the unit used in the construction as shown in Fig. 10.

Fig. 12 is a fragmentary sectional elevation of the unit of Fig. 11, the view showing the application of the coloring on the faces of the unit and the design-delineating lines.

Fig. 13 is an elevation showing a design which may be applied to the reverse side of the unit as viewed in Fig. 11..

Fig. 14 is an elevation of a unit generally similar to that illustrated in Fig. 11, but showing a different design.

Fig. 15 is a fragmentary sectional elevation of the unit of Fig. 14.

Fig. 16 is an elevation of the reverse side of the unit of Fig. 14, showing a still different type of design.

Referring more particularly to the drawings the illustration of Fig. 1 shows an interior wall comprising a wall foundation A, base boards 13, the decorative plates or units C and a layer of improved cemen titious material D, which binds the plates C to the base A, the plates being embedded individually in the cement layer D, which may be sufiiciently thick to enable the units C to be embedded therein until the outer surface of the units is flush, or substantially flush, with the layer of cement.

The units C are of any desired size, being suitably plates or slabs which are as large in area as can be handled without inconvenience or danger of breakage.

As has been mentioned above, the units as used on an inside wall, such as that shown in Fig. 1, comprise a body II which is made of clear, transparent glass, of substantially uniform thickness and having plane surfaces.

One of the surfaces It, which may serve as the rear or embedded surface, has applied thereto a plurality of lines l9 which delineate any desired pattern or geometrical figure between them. As will be seen in a much exaggerated manner in Figs. 3 and 5, these lines I! are applied directly to the surface of the glass body i'l so as to outline the desired pattern which is to appear in the finished unit. These lines i9 may be applied by any suitable process, such as by a printing process as used in the marking of composition-floor coverings. The entire surface Ill may then have applied solidly thereover a desired layer of contrasting color, indicated at II, in a much exaggerated manner in Figs. 3 and 5. This layer 2| overlies, of course, the lines l9 defining the pattern or figures appearing in the glass. In order to obtain better adhesion of the colors to the glass, the surface It may be roughened, as by sandblasting, and the layer of color 2| is applied desirably by spraying the color onto the roughed surface of the glass, which should be clean and free from dirt and grease.

The other surface 20 of the glass is left clear, so that light may enter the glass body l1 and be reflected, at least partially from the colored layer 2|, the coloring of which, and the lines i9 outlining the figures or patterns in the glass, are visible through the glass body ll, very pleasing effects being produced by the completed units.

These effects may be widely varied, depending upon the pattern and colors selected. In Fig. 2, for example, the plate C is illustrated as being divided into rectangles to simulate colored tile: and, for example, the lines I] may be black while the colored backing 2| may be a brick red in color; or any other contrasting colors may be used as desired. In Fig. 4, the plate C is shown as divided into squares instead of rectangles.

Other appearances are obtainable as may be desired. Thus in Figs. 6 and 7 a heavy line I! divides the plate into approximately equal parts, an approximately equally heavy line 2| being shown as extending along an edge II of the plate. A contrasting color 21 is applied over the entire rear surface I! of the plate as before.

In Fig. 8, transverse and marginal strips II, II, and 33 are left transparent a colored backing 35 being applied as before to the surface II, to cover the surface solidly except for the transparent strips.

Also, the colored backings may have applied thereover contrasting lines as indicated for instance by strips 31, 39, and 4| in Figs. 13 and 16, so that distinctive appearances may be presented should it be desired to reverse the plates and utilize them with their opaque side outwardly.

In applying the units to a wall, the wall foundation A is coated with a layer D of cement, which is plastic for ready spreading with a trowel or the like but which sets or becomes hard in time. The layer D is sufiiciently thick for enabling the unit C to be embedded therein and held in position thereby. It is preferred to use a bonding cement of neutral color so as not to conflict with the appearance of the unit. The cement is made preferably of equal parts of asbestos fiber, whiting, or similar material, mixed with varnish to a thick paste, and a small amount of drier incorporated therein. If desired, also, any desired pigment may be incorporated in this cement.

The plates A may be of any desired size, as has been said before. They may be in large slabs or plates of sufliclent area so that one plate will cover an entire wall. However, since the body is glass, the size of the plates may be cut down readily as may be required by convenience in handling or by the conditions of installation. The plates are of substantially uniform thickness, being made in practice, however, as thin as is consistent with rigidity.

In Fig. 10, there is shown an adaptation of the unit as applied to an outside wall. In Fig. 10, the wall foundation is indicated at A, the layer D representing the cement layer in which the plates C are embedded and thereby bonded to the foundation A.

In the construction of outside walls, the unit illustrated in Figs. 11, 12, 14, 15 may be used desirably, although the unit previously described may be used also, of course, with the opaqued side out.

The type of unit illustrated in Figs. 11, 12, 14, 15 comprises a vitreous body 43, having substantially plane surfaces 45 and 41 both of which are overlaid solidly with coloring layers 4! and Bi. These layers have applied upon them the markings 53 which define on one side of the unit the figures or patterns 58, a, which may be of any appropriate design. Thus, in Fig. 11, the lines 53 are offset and divide the surface of the unit into rectangles resembling brickor tilework, and in Fig. 14, the lines II define a plu- 'ra1ity of squares in horizontal and vertical align- 'such as the roofing cements procurable on the open market under various trade designations.

As in the case of the interior 'wall unit, the

unit C may be made in slabs or plates of any desired dimensions and areas as large as is consistent with convenience in handling. The cement binds the units to the wall i'oundation A, and as each unit is embedded individually into the cement, any tendency of the wall to become distorted is obviated; and in connection with the inside unit especially, if the wall loundation to which it is applied is not straight, the

plates'may be cut readily to fit as may be required.

01 course, many diilerentpatterns and designs and colorings may be used, the choice thereof depending upon the kind 0! work in which the plate of the present invention is to be employed, and the effects which are desired to be produced.

It will be understood that the invention is not limited, necessarily, to the specific details as are herein specifically illustrated and described, but it will be apparent that such details are subject to various modifications which become apparent readily to one skilled in the art, without departing from the spirit of the invention; and it will be understood, therefore, that it is intended and desired to include within the scope oi the invention such modifications and changesasmaybenecessarytoadaptitto varying conditions and uses. It is also to be understood that the following claims are intended to cover all of the generic and specic features of the invention herein described, and all statements of the scope of the invention which as a matter of language might be said to fall therebetween.

What is claimed is:

1. A reversible structural unit for veneered walls, comprising a sheet of transparent glass forming the body of the unit, regular designdefining markings applied to a surface of the transparent body, the said markings being of a color contrasting with the glass and easily visible therethrough, a backing layer 01! contrasting color applied over the same surface of the glass as the said markings to simulate brick or tile, whereby the markings and backing are visible through the transparent body of the unit, and markings applied to the said backing forming different appearing designs thereon from the designs produced by the aforesaid markings, whereby upon reversal of the'unit, there may be obtained the appearance of a brick ortile upon one surface, and a glazed finish upon the reverse surface.

2. A reversible structural unit for veneered walls, comprising a sheet oi transparent glass forming the body of the unit, design-defining markings applied to a surface of the transparent body, the said markings being of a color contrasting with the glass and easily visible therethrough, and a backing layer of contrasting color applied over the same surfaceot the glass as the said markings, whereby the markings and backing are visible through the transparent body or the unit, whereby upon reversal oi. the unit, there.

may be obtained the appearance of an unglazed brick or tile upon one surface, and a glazed finish upon the reverse surface.

ANTOINETTE REY-BIG. 

